In its original Spanish language version, this tour de force was awarded the famed Espejo de Espana prize. Rubert deVentos examines the ambiguous yet highly charged relationships between Spain and the American nations of the Western hemisphere. Writing with the grace and charm that characterizes the best of the pensador tradition, the author has produced a fundamental treatise on social development.

With his deep appreciation for the indigenous populations of South and Central America, Rubert deVentos offers a comparative perspective on the two major forms of colonization in...